Let’s rock and roll!! Kids this age want fun and challenging lessons to prove to themselves that they can take on anything! All of these classes are gender specific and divided by age and ability, with a maximum of 9 kids per teacher. With these groups, coaches can now begin to increase the emphasis on flexibility, balance, strength, and coordination. As children progress into these classes (previous levels required only for advanced DII/DIII classes), we start refining and honing gymnastics and fitness skills, including increased use of the Olympic apparatus. New and returning students are all welcome to our classes, and our coaches will assess each child to verify correct class placement. We teach and review skills to make sure our gymnasts have learned the correct form and technique so they can safely progress to more advanced skills. These classes also add to our foundation of social and emotional development for these children by reminding them to take turns, listen, and be kind. We also recognize the diverse abilities in our classes and remind our students to do their personal best each time. We, as coaches, give them the tools to feel great about themselves and their abilities. A bit of a challenge goes a long way!

Developmental I (“DI”) and Developmental DIA (“DIA”):

60 minutes long, once per week

Girls DI 5/6 years old are held in the Junior Gym

Whether your child is brand new to gymnastics or has been coming for years, we will make sure they have a blast! Assessing each child’s ability will ensure that the coaches can challenge each one individually yet keep the whole class on the same lesson plan. These classes can have a range of abilities and we want to make sure each child is learning and progressing at their own pace. Also, since our classes are divided by gender, the boys classes can now work almost exclusively on the men’s training events: rings, parallel bars, high bar, pommel horse, vault, and floor.

Developmental II (“DII”) and Developmental DIIA (“DIIA”):

60-75 minutes long, once per week

This is next step in each gymnast’s progression! Boys and girls must be recommended to these levels so that our coaches know the basics have been taught. We work on refining and honing those basics skills, and our coaches will begin introducing higher level skills, such as round offs and back limbers on the floor, back hip circles and straight leg chin up pullover on bars, flat backs and front hand springs on vault, and leaps and handstands on beam. Boys classes will also include these floor and vault skills, and the coaches may add scissors on the pommel horse, L holds on rings, release moves on the high bar, and swing to handstand on the parallel bars.

Developmental III (“DIII”) and Developmental DIV (“DIV”):

90 minutes long, once per week

Gymnasts must have progressed through DII and DIIA to be recommended for this group. Having 90+ minutes per class will allow the coach to delve deeply into each skill, new and basic, so that each gymnast can master it. Not only will the coach work on the skills listed in DII and DIIA, but will begin introducing back and front handsprings on the floor, kips and shoot throughs on the bars, and cartwheels on the beam. We will challenge all students to do their absolute best each time so that they can make that skill.